Lost in Time
by Kami-no-Namida
Summary: There were two "well-known secrets" about the Gaunts. Their blood connection to Salazar Slytherin and the fact that each member of the family was at least part Veela. So was Tom Marvolo Riddle. A wizard. A half-blood. A Veela driven into insanity when his mate never appeared. But nothing is meant to last forever. Fifty years is a long time to wait. Mpreg, Evil!AD, "T" for now
1. Prologue

Hi there (^^)/,

Fourth Happy-Birthday-to-me fic already! And this time it's _ **Harry x Tom Riddle Jr.**! (First venture into the pairing, yay!) _ It's going to be quite the long ride, be prepared.

Also in case you are reading any of my other stories, don't worry I won't abandon any of them. In fact now that it's holiday I might actually have time to update them. Thank you for your patience!

 **Warning:** Slash, Mpreg _(that's in distant future for now),_ Evil!Dumbledore... I can't think of more at the moment. I'll add them as I go.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does... I only own the Harry Potter books on my shelf (OnO)

* * *

 **… Lost in Time …**

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

You-Know-Who.

The Dark Lord.

There are many ways to call the one most of the wizarding populace of Britain fears. Many alternatives to avoid saying the name and title the man has chosen for himself.

Lord Voldemort.

 _Everyone_ knows that name, even if they don't use it.

Only very few, however, know what name is hidden inside that moniker. The name the wizard was born with.

Tom Marvolo Riddle.

A child of Merope Gaunt, a pure-blood witch from a prominent family. A family that belonged to the "Sacred Twenty-Eight" in fact, the twenty-eight magical families that were still considered entirely pure at the start of the century.

One cannot be surprised to hear that Merope's father Marvolo, a pure-blood supremacist, was enraged when he learned of his daughter's affair with a muggle called Tom Riddle. That he was enraged even more so when he got to know that she became pregnant.

It was to be expected.

It was however not only Marvolo Gaunt who had been enraged to hear of Merope's pregnancy.

No.

There was another man.

One whose agenda was not to care about the purity of the Gaunt bloodline.

On the other hand it had all to do with the fact that the Gaunt line was descended from that of Salazar Slytherin. He very much did not like the idea of the Slytherin line continuing.

It had been this man who had set Merope's older brother up for a murder of a muggle.

He had thought that if Morfin Gaunt was sent to Azkaban that he'd be damaged from his stay there. That _that_ way the Slytherin line would finally end.

After all there weren't many who returned from Azkaban and the "lucky" few who did never returned undamaged.

He had been _so_ very sure it would be enough.

However the child Merope was carrying meant that it was not.

What a misfortune.

Not all days were over though, for there were _two_ "well-known secrets" about the House of Gaunt.

The first being the fact that their descendant was Salazar Slytherin himself and thus the entire line were able to speak in Parseltongue. The second being that they were not as traditionally "pure-blooded" as old Marvolo Gaunt claimed.

And it was that second secret which he knew about Gaunts that the enraged man used to his advantage.

The fact that the the entire line that made up the House of Gaunt, was in fact heavily inter-bred with Veelas and as such all children of the family showed quite a few of their traits. Need for a mate was one of them.

The muggle named Tom Riddle had been Merope's mate and he was also the reason she used love potions to keep the man to her, in her weakened mind she saw the fact that he was a muggle as a disadvantage. She had been told all her life how muggles are inferior to them. What if destiny was not enough? What if her Veela allure was not enough to keep him to her? That had been her mistake.

Riddle Senior being muggle made their connection no less fragile than it would have been with a wizard. After all, even Veela and wizard are not truly same species to begin with.

When it became apparent that love potions were used on him however he grew to distrust the Veela and as soon as the effect of the potions disappeared he ran away. One could not even blame him. He had in fact had feelings for young Merope, watching her from afar and having spoken to her a few times, before her Veela inheritance came to play.

The fact that she used underhanded methods to keep him to her however showed him that she was not quite who he thought her to be.

After Tom's hasty departure Merope had been struck by Veela Depression. She lived only long enough to give birth to their son.

Tom Marvolo Riddle, she named the boy, just before she died.

Tom was born a wizard, a male who could use magic.

He was born a half-blood, his father was a muggle after all.

Tom was also born a Veela just as his mother was, his Veela blood no less diluted by the muggle blood than his grandfather claimed it to be.

He was a Veela and every Veela had a mate which had been chosen for them somewhere.

And indeed, it had been _that_ fact that the enraged man used.

He had searched for almost three years before he found just the right spell which would eventually send the last of the Slytherin line on a downward spiral of madness.

He had done one of the worst and darkest rituals to have ever been created against a Veela.

The man sent Tom's mate fifty years into the future.

A mate who was to be the eagerly expected second child of the Potter family, the sibling for their only son Charlus.

A mate who had been sent two generations down his line and became Harry Potter.

A mate who became a twin to the child James and Lily Potter were only supposed to have at the time.

The plan came into fruition.

And Albus Dumbledore couldn't be happier.

* * *

 **Tadah!**

 **What do you think so far? Constructive criticism welcomed!**

 **See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	2. Ambivalence

**… Lost in Time …**

 _ **1980, 31st July**_

"It's a boy!" a medi-witch commonly known as Madam Pomfrey, announced, smiling as the heir to the Potter line made his arrival to the world known in a long wail, showing off both his vocal chords and lungs in their full use.

"Did you hear, Lils? A boy! We have a son." a man, commonly known as James Potter, said through his tears to the woman lying on the bed, who had exhausted herself in bringing said son to the world.

A woman commonly known as Lily Potter, née Evans.

"Son." she breathed out with a smile, then by-passed her weariness for a moment to hold out her hands. "Can you...?"

"Of course, dear. Just a moment." Madam Pomfrey said, waving her hand over the boy as well as the mother herself. Once she was done she handed the newly clean baby to his mother. "Here he comes."

"He's so beautiful." Lily cried, her fingers stroking the baby's soft cheek. "Hello, Daniel."

"Daniel." James echoed, taking in the picture of his family. "Daniel James Potter."

Madam Pomfrey observed the three-member family also and having done all she was supposed to, she was just about to leave to give the couple some privacy with their new child, when suddenly she saw a flash of pain cross the Lily's face.

"Ow."

"What is it, Lils?" James asked, understandably worried about his wife.

"Hurts."

"Poppy?" the man addressed the medi-witch by her name, measure of panic clear on his face. "What's wrong with her?"

The medi-witch did not need any prodding and went to check the witch over immediately.

What she found surprised her greatly.

"How is this even possible?" she asked herself, running the check again.

"What is it?!" James insisted, the panic in his voice increasing.

"Nothing is wrong, I assure you, but could you please hold onto little Daniel for a moment?" the official matron of the renowned Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry asked, running more spells over the witch.

"Why?"

"It seems that Daniel had been hiding a sibling of his from us." she said with a somewhat sad smile. She did not want yet share her concerns with the parents, who were as of that moment effectively stunned.

"Another baby?" Lily all but whispered, her exhaustion not allowing her to do more, even as she winced when a contraction came. "But... How is that possible? Shouldn't we have known? Is the baby going to be okay?"

"The baby is healthy, don't worry." the matron tried to sooth the mother who was working herself into a state.

"But?" James had caught on her not saying everything.

As it turned out the question had to wait for later, because just as Poppy was about to answer Lily's face contorted in pain.

"Surprise one or not, the baby wants out." she wheezed when the contraction ended. "It wants out _now_."

The Hogwarts matron could only smile at that.

"What an impatient baby you have there."

...

The second baby came within a few minutes and almost too easily, the medi-witch would later remember, given that no one was prepared for its arrival.

Unlike the firstborn, however, the baby did not announce its entrance with a cry and both parents worried immediately. What was wrong with their baby? Thankfully, the concerns could be laid aside soon, when the medi-witch brought the checked over and clean baby.

"He's okay." the woman said, showing them their surprising addition to the family circle, who was waving his chubby arms around. "A healthy baby boy number two. Just a bit on the quiet side."

To refute that claim it was _then_ that the baby made a whining noise, as if he thought that there was not enough attention centred on him already.

"Another boy?" James asked, disbelieving. Not sure what he had done so right to deserve so much happiness.

"What name should we give him though?" Lily bit on her lower lip, as her second son was settled in her arms. "We only had one set of boy and one of girl names prepared. We can't leave him without a name."

"We could still use the girl one." James said, only partially joking.

"James Potter! You're not seriously considering we name our son Harriet, are you? You better no be!"

The glare that Lily gifted him with reminded James that the reason he and his friends called her "spitfire" during their school years had nothing to do with the colour of her hair but rather had everything to do with her _fiery_ temper.

Ha-ha. Pun intended. James was proud of himself.

He was also in possession of at least half an ounce of common sense and knew when to back off.

"I meant no such a thing, Lils." he backtracked, knowing that he had worded the matter wrong. "How about Harry though?"

"Harry." Lily echoed, then looked at the baby in her arms and caressed his cheek, much like she had done with his brother before. "Harry... Are you Harry?"

The way the baby yawned before burrowing closer to his mother's breast they could only take positively.

...

It was certainly not how Poppy Pomfrey had expected her day to go, but she couldn't say she would have changed it, had she had the chance.

Once she left the Potters for a quiet moment of their own she was accosted by one Sirius Black as well as - in a much more sedate manner - by Remus Lupin, the best friends of the happy new parents.

"How did it go? Is Lily okay? Is my brand new godchild okay? Did James cry?"

"Sirius!"

"Come on, Moony. Don't play innocent, you bet against James managing it tearless, too!"

Trust the best friends to always jab at your weak spots, it's their way of toughening your armor... and their way of simply poking fun at you, of course.

"Everyone's okay and yes, James did cry. I'm betting for both of you doing so also, so don't you dare disappoint me." the medi-witch closed the matter.

"Ha! Rude. I'm not going to!" Sirius defended himself.

"Is it okay for us to go see them now?" the quieter of the duo asked, ignoring his hyperactive friend for the time being.

Poppy Pomfrey knew why she liked the werewolf.

"Yes, it is. Be prepared for a surprise though. Two for you," she pointed at Remus shortly, "I would assume."

Poppy knew that Sirius Black was chosen as a godfather to the first baby, he was James' best friend and his self-proclaimed brother in all but blood and got on with Lily well. At the same time Poppy knew that Remus Lupin had been considered also, given that he was good - "second best" - friends with both the parents.

From what Poppy also knew, at about half-way through her pregnancy Lily was considering choosing Remus over her own close friend, Alice Longbottom, and only had shot down the idea once the werewolf himself had dissuaded her of it.

In all irony, after that happened, Lily let herself be heard that if there could be more than two godparents she would have chosen him.

The medi-witch was almost sure that with how the night had turned out the werewolf was going to walk out of that room as a godfather in his own right.

"Why Moony only? I want surprises also!" Sirius whined, though he would deny doing it to his dying day.

"Oh don't worry, you will get one. I just have a feeling that Remus will be the one it affects more."

"Whatever. I want to see my godbaby. Let's go, Moony!"

"Okay. See you later, Madam Pomfrey."

"Likewise, Remus. You too, Sirius!"

Sirius did not hear her, he was standing by the open door, open-mouthed and likely stunned by the sight of each of the Potter couple holding onto one baby.

Remus ended up the same, moments later, when he got to the open door himself.

Madame Pomfrey left them like that, off to inform the rest of the awaiting family and friends who unlike the two stayed in the living room until she came for them.

The following day she got to know that her hunch had been right and Remus was asked to be the godfather to Harry Charlus Potter, which the man - of course - accepted.

She also became a few galleons richer, given that both men _did_ end up crying in the end.

If only she could leave the entirety of that day at just that.

She hated to be the messenger for the bad news.

...

 _ **1980, 1st August**_

James was walking back and forth in front of the hearth, awaiting the arrival of certain medi-witch, who they were well-acquainted with, which was due in a few minutes time.

He did not forget the expression on the woman's face as she had run a check over his wife's stomach before the whirlwind of Harry's birth came and... he was worried.

He was also in the process of wearing through their carpet with his continuous pacing.

Lily was not much better off nerves-wise. Unlike her husband, however, she could not pace, because her body was still healing itself from the strenuous ordeal the labour had been. Charms and potions could only do so much for one's body.

The godfathers who were in the house at that time also felt much of the strain it put on the atmosphere and felt it themselves, even if they only knew of there being a problem through second-hand information.

The only ones wholly unaffected were the twins, both sleeping happily in their shared crib.

And to that set of the stage, Madame Pomfrey flooed in.

"Good morning." the medi-witch greeted everyone in general, figuring that greeting everyone separately would take too long, receiving various alternations of the same in answer.

"I don't like to beat around the bush and I imagine that neither of you would like for me to do it either." she started once she sat down, the Head of the house being the one to bring her tea, because he did not want his wife to strain herself unnecessarily. "I have concerns about young Harry."

The room turned as quiet as if no people were inside it.

"Is- Is my baby going to die?" Lily whispered, her words choked as she sought the support from her husband, who offered it immediately.

"No Lily, no." the Hogwarts matron assured the woman immediately, wanting to nip those thoughts in the bud. "Harry isn't in danger of death. He's a perfectly healthy baby. A bit smaller than his brother, admittedly, but still a healthy weight and length."

The collective sigh of relief of the room lightened the atmosphere nearly palpably.

"But then what..." Sirius started, only to be cut off by the matron herself.

"I had been worried he would _not_ healthy be at first. You see, it is not often that even muggle parents are surprised by twins, after all how likely it was that the two babies were never active at the same time? I admit I feared detecting a baby that would be bound to be a stillborn when I ran those charms, but health-wise the baby's only problem was the slight distress that is given during labour."

"You keep saying health-wise, healthy... What _is_ the problem with Harry then?" James asked, having noted the choice of the words the previous day also. He did not like the medi-witch was doing exactly what she said she wouldn't when she came. Beating around the bush.

"If you remember, when we found out about Harry, I said that Daniel had been hiding him from us." she started, then continued once she saw nods from both the parents. "I meant it quite literally at the time. I don't know how much of awareness you have of the difference in muggle and wizarding medicine, concerning observing of pregnancy, but the main thing is that muggles use machines to literally look into expectant mother's stomach. On the other hand magic is used differently and the charms check for baby's health, their progress, their gender, if wanted... First and foremost, however, the charms check for the baby's magical core."

James could already see where the witch was heading.

He wished he didn't.

"The fact that Harry's movements were overlooked or assumed to be Daniel's... that could have happened. But I had detected no echo of his magical core the whole pregnancy. Only from Daniel's. Which means that..."

"Harry is a squib."

"Yes." Madam Pomfrey nodded. "He most likely is."

"Only likely?" Lily asked, grasping at straws.

"There is a slight chance that he is a late bloomer and the development of his core was just postponed due to the development of Daniel's and there hadn't been a complete silence once I checked the echo after the birth, but it was very weak and as such is more likely to get silent rather than get stronger, I'm sorry."

"It isn't going to hurt him though? Even if his magical core does not develop?"

It was the first thing Remus said that day.

"No, it isn't. He'll be a perfectly healthy boy still. Healthy but magicless."

"It doesn't matter." Lily spoke up, her voice determined, even if a bit shaky. "Even if his core does not develop further. Even if it _dies out_. I may have not known about him two days ago, but he's my baby. He's _ours._ We won't ever cast him aside. We _won't_."

"Of course we won't, Lils." James answered his wife quietly, only to get an armful of her, moments later when the woman finally broke down.

"Why Harry? It isn't fair." the red-head cried into her husband's chest, "Why did it have to be Harry?"

"I don't know, Lils." James whispered, "But we'll be there for him, however it turns out. We'll be _here_. He won't be alone in this. That's what's important."

Lily only cried harder.

"Is there anything we can do?" Sirius asked the medi-witch who watched the couple with a heavy heart.

"Just be there for him. Don't give him more attention than Daniel. Don't give him less. Treat them equally. Encourage them. _Love_ them. Nothing I could do or prepare works better than that."

"We can do that." Sirius nodded, his resolve strong.

Remus had much the same thoughts. He loved both those boys already and even Moony, who was quite close to the surface, what with the full-moon only few days gone, saw them both as the addition to their pack.

"Yeah." he voiced his agreement with his friend's words.

"We can do that."

* * *

 **Tadah~**

 **So, yeah. I'm sorry? It will be explained more as the story goes, this is not the end of the matter.**

 **I'm totally treading water in the first part, 'cause, well, no experience with birth, newborns and so.** _Stalking baby help sites much._

 **Hopefully you like the outcome. (o0v0o)** _If you spot mistakes, content or grammar-wise, mentioning them will be appreciated!_

 **See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	3. Birthday

**… Lost in Time …**

 _ **1980, 2nd November**_

James looked, lips pressed into a thin line, as Madam Pomfrey said incantation after incantation.

It was not a new sight to the man. Both his boys were checked with a string of spells at every visit of the medi-witch. It was not about the process itself. After all most of the spells were ones commonly used on babies to check their wellbeing.

What stressed the Head of the Potter House was the spell he knew would surely come. A spell which was not in the realm of common by any stretch and only his younger son was checked with it at the end of every check up by Madam Pomfrey.

That day, as many days before, the lines of the strictly professional face of the Hogwarts matron tightened when the last spell had been cast and that was more than telling.

James wasn't blind and he wasn't stupid either.

He knew even before Poppy told him.

Harry's magical core wasn't getting better.

And that was the only thing he could ruminate about even long after the medi-witch herself had left.

"Don't think about it."

James couldn't even say he had heard his wife approach, so engulfed was he in his thoughts.

"How can I?" the man's shoulders sagged as he turned around to face Lily who smiled at him gently.

"It worries me, too - don't for a moment think it doesn't - but he's not getting worse either. Poppy said that not _once_ had his, albeit weak, core shown a sign of completely diminishing during any of her scans. Why can't you keep your mind on that?"

"You're right. I'm sorry. It's just..."

"I know. I wish things were different, too."

That was the literal _core_ of the problem.

They weren't.

But the Potters had realised that they did not need to let it rule their lives. They had two healthy children, some parents weren't so lucky.

Lily understood and accepted that and that very day James swore to himself that _that_ was the approach he was going to have from then on as well.

He would not let it weigh on his mind any longer.

...

 _ **1980, 31st December**_

Was it his birthday again? It felt like it was.

Why was it to hard to remember?

Why do people celebrate their birthday even? Ah, true, it's a happy occasion for them.

For him though, it only meant pain.

Pain. Pain. _Pain_.

Pain of not knowing.

Pain of separation, maybe.

But... you can't exactly be separated from someone you've never met, right?

It felt like pain none the less.

At times the moments of clarity were worse than the moments shrouded in mist.

That day was one of them.

He wished the man who often caused the hazy feeling would come soon. He came by often lately.

Ah, there he is.

...

 _ **1981, 30th January**_

Lily couldn't even say she did not expect something of the sort to happen.

"Say it Daniel 'ma-ma', come on."

"James, really?"

"Harry you try too. 'Ma-ma.'"

The Marauders had much the same thoughts.

"You sound pretty ridiculous right now. Do you know it, Prongs?"

Well, most of them.

"But how can they participate in the birthday song if they can't say at least that?"

"Still ridiculous."

"Happy Birthday, dear ma-ma..."

Needless to say James did not manage to convince the twins to start talking that day.

...

 _ **1981, 27th March**_

"Harry, try saying 'dada'. 'Da-da.'"

"God, not this again."

"Shut it, Moony. You're just sour they didn't say anything for _your_ birthday."

"Good one, Prongs."

"So once again. You try too, Daniel. It goes Happy Birthday dear da-da..."

"Bah?"

"Doo!"

"Almost! My boys are so clever!"

...

 _ **1981, 31st May**_

It was supposed to only be the day when the ten-month check up for the twins took place.

It turned way more than that.

"Any progress?"

"Magic-wise? Not really, I'm afraid." the medi-witch sighed then her lips curled into a smile. "Other than that they are both the epitome of healthy babies."

"That's great." James smiled at the woman sincerely, having accepted the reality for what it was. He learned to take in good news where he could.

Times were dark.

He _had_ to.

He felt trapped in the safety of the safe house he and Lily lived in with their two boys.

Sirius, Remus and even Peter came to visit at times - even if the visits of the shortest Marauder became less frequent as of late - and that helped to alleviate the monotone hue of days somewhat, but...

'Don't be an idiot, James. It's _safe_ here. That's the most important.'

Needless to say James' mood was effectively soured and it seemed Madam Pomfrey realised it also.

"I think it's time for me to go the-..."

In the following seconds two things happened.

A resounding crash could be heard and a female voice called out in horror, obviously reacting to the first event.

"Severus!"

...

"Something's wrong, Lily." the black-clad man, known to everyone as Severus Snape, started, looking into the eyes of the woman who was in the process of patching him up.

"Aside from the obvious?" James could not stop himself from uttering, their days as rivals not yet put behind him entirely.

"If by obvious you mean the recent... _activity_ of his, then yes aside from the obvious. There's something different that doesn't sit right with me though."

It took a while before the man gathered his words again and Lily did not blame him.

They were still far from the easy friendship they had had before it all went to hell, but at the same time better off than they were a year ago. A few _months_ ago, in fact.

It was slowly getting better ever since the Slytherin came and all but turned himself in to his once-best friend.

He admitted that he served the darkest wizard of the present time. Admitted that he told said wizard about a prophecy he had heard. And what he realised it meant for them in turn.

Lily did not trust his words at first, they did not part ways on good terms after all.

Then the man swore the Unbreakable vow. A vow to protect her and her family for as long as he lived, even if having means of the protection meant that he was to spy for the one he had to call Lord.

It did not make things all right. It made her believe him though. And as time went, it started to heal some of the wounds caused in past.

They were _friends_ again.

'At last.', Lily could not help but think.

Before there was even a chance to gain that easy friendship they once had, she had to listen to what her friend wanted to say at that moment though.

"I know you won't believe me when I say it. And even I don't truly comprehend what it means yet, but... He... He's _different_ lately."

No one needed to ask whom the man was speaking about.

"He's not the one ordering the latest raids even. The times he _does_ something it is ordering search after search. Even in the times that he seems different. Only the people involved in those searches are always _Obliviated_ afterwards. It's not even simply bizarre anymore, it's just _frustrating_." the man trailed off for a minute then continued. "The strangest thing is that while he is almost frantic with those searches, he seems almost _sane_ at times, dare I even say that about him."

"Why are you telling us this, Severus?" Lily asked, placing her hand on her friend's knee.

"Because while he now has moments of sanity, he's still as dangerous as ever. Something is urging him not to stop searching for you, _driving_ that mad search of his. I just can't figure out what. Why was it you he chose to focus on?" the man's frustration was almost palpable as he stood up and started pacing back and forth across the room. "Don't get me wrong. I don't wish he latched onto Frank and Alice instead. I want to know though... What is it that fuels his conviction that the prophecy is true? That your son is the one who's supposed to kill him? Why does he believe it? Why is it so important that suddenly all his other goals are important no more?"

There was a stretch of silence after those words.

One that went on and on... until the man himself broke it.

"I just don't understand it. Is it even you that he's searching for still?"

...

 _ **1981, 14th June**_

A raid happened once again.

That by itself wouldn't have been so strange, they became quite usual as of the entirety of war, unfortunately.

Except there was nothing _usual_ about that raid at all, because it was no raid where muggles were the aim.

No.

It was an outright attack on a village that was known for being a part of the _magical_ community.

Something like that had never happened before.

And it wasn't even the strangest thing of them all.

It was that no one died during it.

No one fighting against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, at least.

There were two dead people.

Two bodies left in the middle of the square as if they were some sort of a sick _offering,_ not even killed _during_ the raid itself.

Two bodies of _known_ Death Eaters, identifiable by most of the wizarding world from the posters hanging everywhere.

Their bodies were the only remnant of the raid even happening.

The burned buildings were spelled back into their former glory with a few flicks of wands.

The few wizards and witched with minor injuries were healed quickly by the medi-wizards who arrived.

It was as if the raid never happened with the added bonus of two less people to fear.

The entirety of wizarding Britain was flabbergasted.

What had been the _purpose_?

...

The raid had, in fact been a bit of a decoy. One that was meant to turn eyes away from the true goal of that day.

A different house had been raided that day as well.

No one died there either.

The Riddle House had been empty of people for years upon years already.

Not of old records though.

Not of old books either.

Those were what the man was searching for.

He had to act quick.

Before someone came.

Before _he_ came.

He had realised already that there was nothing good about the mist the man shrouded him in.

In the mist nothing mattered.

 _Nothing._

Not even the _one_ that always did. _The_ one that always _had to_ matter. Even if times were harsh. If his mind was slipping. _The one_ for him _always_ mattered.

Ah, there it was.

He found what he came for

He had to go.

Before the man found him and the horrible darkness which was clouding his thoughts as of late came once again.

...

 _ **1981, 31st July**_

"Happy Birthday, boys!" an understandably excited James called out as soon as he saw his sons being carried into the room by their exasperated mother.

"Da!"

"Dada!"

The twin's speech left a lot to be desired still, but it was not as if the man cared much.

"See I told you! They'll be talking in no time!"

"James. Just don't. If you do this every Birthday that ever happens I'll start thinking something unflattering about your mental capacities."

"Mama?"

"Daddy's being a dunderhead, isn't he Daniel?" Lily suppressed her laugh as she put both the children onto their play mat.

"Lily!"

"Liii!"

...

 _ **1981, 26th October**_

"I don't have a good feeling about this, James." Lily wringed her hands together in her lap as she blankly looked at the fireplace which one Albus Dumbledore had just left through.

"But why?" the man spoken to asked, all but sitting on the floor in front of the couch, so he could wrap his own hands around those of his wife.

"Isn't it strange that Dumbledore is suggesting the Fidelius only now? We've been here like this for almost _two_ _years_ already James. Harry and Daniel are almost fifteen months old. Why had it never occurred to him before that some protection would be needed?" the woman said, all her worries clearly audible in her voice.

"When you say it like that, yes. It does seem kind of strange." James agreed with a sigh. "But what should we do?"

"I don't know. I just think there's something dubious about it, that's all."

"How about we talk about it with Remus and Sirius? I know you don't think much of Sirius' thinking skills, but it could be useful to have an outside opinion."

"I suppose." Lily agreed to the suggestion in the end, her mood not much better off. Then however her lips quirked up in a smile. "But isn't Sirius away on that "super secret mission" of his right now? Not that we don't know that it is likely just him covering up he got a patrol somewhere boring."

"He is." James answered, his own mood lifting a bit. "And it's what, Monday? He said he should be home by Saturday. He wouldn't miss the All Hallows' Eve for anything in the world. Especially since we promised he could do the decorations this year. Who thought that would be a good idea anyway?"

"Not owning up to your mistakes, James dear?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lily dear."

"As if." the red-head laughed.

It was however inevitable that the atmosphere grew more sombre after some time passed.

"We could talk about it after Halloween then? The additional protection of the house I mean."

"Yeah. We could. It's not as if anyone else would be the secret keeper anyway. We don't know how it would work with Remus and what with his furry problem. Alice and Frank have enough on their own plates. And Peter? Have you even seen Peter lately?" James spoke his thought process out loud.

"We're here together all the time, but no, I haven't. The last time I tried to invite him over he said he had "something urgent to do" and disconnected the Floo call. He _did_ say he'll stop by on Halloween though, now that I think about it."

"That's strange. The last time we spoke Peter barely had a job, nevermind things that were urgent enough to just run out like that. Just... strange."

"We could ask him about that on Saturday? If he stops by that is."

"Yes. We could."

...

 _ **1981, 31st October**_

"Ah! Hello Peter! How are you?" Lily greeted the man standing in front the door with warmth typical of her character. "I haven't seen you in _weeks_ at least! Come in, come in. It's positively _pouring_ outside. Why didn't you come through the Floo anyway?"

"Hello. Lily." the stout wizard greeted with stilted words as he entered the house.

"You just missed James, he had to Floo over to Grimmauld, because Sirius overdid it with the decoration shopping." Lily rolled her eyes good-naturedly as the two of them entered the living room.

"Where- Where's Daniel an- and Harry?" Peter asked instead of reacting to what Lily had said, looking around nervously.

Something in the man's voice was off, Lily realised.

She did not know what though.

It was however enough for her cheery mood to give way to wariness.

"They're upstairs, in their cribs, but what has that got to do with anything?"

As the silence stretched a clap of thunder could be heard outside, making both, the witch and the wizard, visibly jump. The reasons for their tension were different, however.

And it did not escape Lily that Peter had yet to answer the question.

"Peter. What has it got to do with anything?"

More silence stretched.

More strikes of thunder were heard.

Until Lily realised that those sounds had nothing to do with the storm raging outside at all.

Those were sounds of apparation.

The witch ran to the window and surely enough she saw several figures standing in front of the house.

"I'm sorry, Lily."

At the sound of Peter's voice Lily turned around at once.

"Peter what...?"

" _Imperio."_

...

Pain. _Pain. **So much pain.**_

How could he have done it?

Blazing. _Searing. **Consuming him alive.**_

How could he have let himself be manipulated enough to do something as horrendous as that?

Burning. _Scorching. **Tearing him apart**_ **.**

His one and only. _The_ one. How could he have wanted to hurt him? How could he have actually _hurt_ him?

Such an agonizing _well-deserved **pain.**_

He would never forgive the one who made him hurt him.

 _'I'm sorry.'_

His mate.

 _'I'm sorry.'_

His precious mate.

 _'I'm sorry.'_

The one he had been searching for his whole life.

 _'Forgive me.'_

* * *

 _ **T** **adah?**_

 _ **I had hoped to have the chapter ready for upload on Halloween, but alas, that was not meant to be. Sorry.**_

 _ **I hope the time-jump(-ey) pattern of this chapter did not put you off. I was hoping to show some insight into the life of the Potters before the fateful Halloween. I'm afraid the only thing I managed is making you confused. *sigh***_

 ** _If you spot a mistake, please do tell. I have no Beta and as such it would be appreciated. (^^)_**

 _Also IDK if you noticed the detail, but in 1981 the correspondence of "date - day of the week" was actually much like the dates of 2015. :D_

 ** _Love you all!_**

 ** _See ya~ ( "-.-)/_**


	4. Curious

**/***

 **Wand in the air and a minute of silence for Alan Rickman.**

 **(21.2.1946 - 14.1.2016)**

 **May he be remembered forever and** _ **Always.**_

* * *

 **… Lost in Time …**

 _ **1981, 31st October**_

"Lily, my sweetheart, we're here!" James announced his entrance cheerily as he got out of the heart still blazing with green flames.

When he heard no answer, the laughter died on his lips.

"Lily?"

Still no answer.

"Lily!"

The flames spat another person the moment James threw the bags his arms had been loaded with onto the sofa.

"Prongs, what..." but Sirus' words stopped short as well. His however did so for a reason slightly different than his friends'. "Is that smoke...?"

"Lily!" James called out again as he ran out of the living room, delayed for a moment by the arrival of the animagus.

" _Lily!_ Lily what's wrong? Are you alright? What happened?"

Sirius, joined by Remus by then, followed the frantic voice, only to come upon a sight he rather would not have. Ever.

The whole hall was all but blasted apart. The doorframe was empty and in front of it were the remnants of what used to be the front door, smoking still.

However that was not the worst of it.

Because there was also Lily.

Sweet Lily, embracing her torso with her arms in a vaguely familiar way, her unfocused eyes looking nowhere and her mouth whispering words no one could hear.

James seemed at loss as to what to do.

As an Auror he had been brilliant, knowing how to keep the distance from the cases they had. Cool-headed even in the type of situations everyone else and their brother had troubles maintaining their calm in.

However this was too close to home, this was _home_ , and he seemed unable to deal with it.

And then Lily spoke up.

"Where's my baby, Jamie? My baby." she started crying, as her arms tightened even further around her midsection. Suddenly the source of familiarity of that gesture clicked. It was not one either of the three men had seen much in the last year. It was the protective cradle of arms she kept her belly in during pregnancy. It was how she wrapped her arms around herself in the months after birth, saying she could not believe it was over already with a smile.

Something was obviously wrong. Why was she asking all of sudden? And then there were also...

"The boys!"

And with that exclamation, James had became effectively torn.

To stay or to go.

He'd be leaving someone unguarded either way.

"We'll go." Remus puts a hand on his friends' shoulder, deciding firmly, rather than letting James worry himself into an early grave.

"Thank you."

Sirius could not help but think that Remus did it more for fear of James doing something stupid if the boys were not alright.

Had he asked, he would have found out he was right.

...

The situation upstairs was... much better than Remus had feared it would be.

In fact it was - aside from the damage to the house itself - very close to what he had hoped they would find.

The first good sign was that as soon as he and Sirius got from the ground floor and started ascending the stairs he could pick up the dual sound of crying. Not that there was much good to be found in the act of crying, but a crying baby generally means a present and an _alive_ baby.

And as soon as the two of the Marauders got into the half-demolished room the crying came from, it also became apparent that while obviously distressed, the boys were unharmed.

Or at least mostly unharmed.

Each man picked his respective godson and started checking said baby systematically over.

"Two little legs? Accounted for. Two chubby arms? Accounted for. The head? Where's the head Danny-boy, hmm?"

"Sirius."

"What?"

"Just don't."

"Excuse me? I'm just checking him over!"

"Well, you are, but you're also being stupid."

Remus could not help but snort at the offended scowl on his friend's face. Instead of teasing his friend more however, he went back to checking his own precious cargo over.

And Harry was alright.

Aside from a curious wound on his head Remus could not help but stare at.

There was nothing lying around that would suggest what it was that Harry got hurt by. At least not in the immediate vicinity or in the crib itself. It was curious. As was the wound itself.

It wasn't even bleeding... And it looked like a lightning bolt.

"Siri do you see..." Remus turned his head, addressing his friend... Only to notice that his godson was not the only one who gained anything in a strange marks department.

Because as Sirius inspected Daniel's right palm there was a mark as well, except his resembled a wing.

Just... curious.

"What do you think does it mean?" Sirius asked, as he cast a healing charm over both the boys.

"I don't know."

...

James was glad when he saw his friends walk down the stairs in one piece, but he was not ashamed to say he loved the sight of his sons alive and well more.

"My boys." he claimed both of them for himself. "I'm so happy you're alright." he whispered softly, hugging the twins close.

He just continued mumbling nonsense to them for a while, until Sirius went and asked the inevitable question: "What about Lily?"

"I called Poppy. She's with her now." James answered, not rising his voice from the whisper he used on the boys.

"Don't worry Prongs, she'll be fine. Lily is a strong one."

"Yeah," James could not help but agree, even as his eyes strayed to their guest room, where his wife was currently treated. "That she is."

...

The three Marauders prepared themselves for a long wait before the medi-witch would come out of the room and tell them the situation... However the reality turned out to be different.

All it took was another person being added to the mix. Or maybe it was adding two people?

"I found _this_ ," the newcomer spat, as he levitated a stunned person into the hall, "lurking by the window. You missing it? I have a feeling he has all the answers you need."

"What are you doing here Snivelly?" Sirius went into an offensive immediately then he noticed who the stunned person was. "Though wait, is that _Peter_? Explain that first."

Severus gave a long, suffering sigh, however he obviously decided that it was not the time or place to have a fight.

"Oh, I'll get to that, don't you worry Black, but as for the first question... Is this an answer enough for you?" the Potions Master asked and then, to the shock of all adults present - the babies cared little - he rolled up his sleeve.

They had all seen the Dark Mark there before, having interacted with the Slytherin in the past few months. But that night it was _different_.

Present, yes.

But _faded_.

" _How_?"

"I'm not sure entirely of what led to it, but for now, _he_ is gone." Severus said matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean _gone_?" James asked, confused, it was all too many things at once to wrap his head around.

"Just gone, Potter. I don't have better answer than that. He wanted to prevent the pophecy from fulfilling, _he was here today_. And that _rat_..." he pointed at Peter. "Had led him here."

"You can't mean that! Peter's our friend!" Sirius shouted, outraged, obviously.

"Trust what you want, Black." the black-clad man shot back, rising to the bait only just. "But believe me when I say that he has the answers you need. Even about... Lily..."

"Whoa, how do you know about that?"

"I'm a Legilimens, imbecile."

"Imbecile? You dare call me an imbecile you ball of slime?"

It would seem as if the two could go on forever. And they did have past spats that had lasted for _hours_ in the past.

However that had not been the day for that.

There were more important matters at hand.

...

"I need to send her off with a Healer to St. Mungo's" Madame Pomfrey said sadly, some twenty minutes later, when she broke up the spat. "For now she's under stasis, I want to check over the boys first, but this just isn't something I can treat by myself, I'm sorry."

"It's... It's okay. I understand." James said, sighing. "So the boys?"

"Show me those two rascals." the medi-witch tried to ease the mood by a notch, not that it helped much.

She ran her check.

She cast healing spells, neither of the strange marks on the twins having disappeared, but she decided it was a secondary problem for the time being.

She cast some more general charms.

And then she ran the spell to check Harry's magical core, out of habit, more than any need of it right that moment.

It was that spell's results that surprised her the most.

"Impossible."

All faces turned to the medi-witch who waved her wand over the boy again, only for him to begin snuffling quietly. He did not seem to like the string of spells much.

"What is it? Is Harry hurt somehow?" James asks, worried for his son's health. The day was so awful already. Surely there was not another, _final_ blow to come?

"Poppy what's wrong with Harry?" he insisted, when the witch did not reply immediately.

"Harry's core..."

"Oh no..." the man feared the worst immediately, but then again, who could fault him?

Except.

"No, you don't understand it, James. There's nothing _wrong_ with Harry's core. It's getting _stronger_."

* * *

 **I'll only take a moment to say here that nothing was changed in the plot of this chapter. Severus was always meant to be there and be the BAMF who drags Wormtail back by his tail. His character is the best and Alan Rickman had made it so.** _(Well, JK Rowling may have helped... a bit.)_

 **Thank you for taking the time to read this** _(_ _Don't worry, we'll get to the marks, and Peter, AND Dumbledore... just not now, okay?)_. **C** **onstructive criticism welcomed.**

 **/***


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